20 Bold Predictions for 2011-12 Premier League Season

The new Premier League season begins in just three days, and Manchester United will look to retain the title they won back in May, which would secure them an amazing 20th league title.

But doing so won't be easy, as they face the usual competition from Chelsea and Arsenal, but also from Liverpool and Manchester City, who have both improved enough in the last year or so to consider themselves serious title challengers. 

While at the other end of the table Premier League new boys QPR, Norwich City and Swansea City will look to show that they have what it takes to compete in the best league in the world.   

So, here are my predictions ahead of the new Premier League season. It should be noted that some of these are very bold.    

Wigan Will Get Less Than 25 Points, Blackburn Will Also Go Down

Only four teams in the last 10 years have accumulated less than 25 points in the Premier League, but Wigan Athletic will become number five as the Lancashire side will return to the Championship after six seasons in the Premier League. 

The reason is simple. Every other team towards the bottom of the division has strengthened, while Wigan simply hasn’t. Charles N’Zogbia, the team’s best player and top scorer, has left for Aston Villa, Tom Cleverly has returned to Manchester United and is unlikely to be sent back on loan, while James McCarthy and Hugo Rodallega are attracting interest from top clubs. 

While for Blackburn, the sale of Phil Jones, and perhaps Christopher Samba will hit the side hard defensively and put too much pressure on a relatively weak attacking force. Steve Kean will continue to try to play slick, entertaining football, but will be unsuccessful as Blackburn will drop to the relegation places.

The Indian owners at Blackburn, who haven't really spent big to improve the playing squad, will continue in not investing in the squad, a decision which will see Rovers joining Wigan in the Championship next season. 

Norwich Will Be the New Blackpool, and Follow Them to Championship

When I say 'be the new Blackpool', I mean that Norwich will play an exciting, attacking brand of football that leaves them being the No. 2 team for many fans. But, like Blackpool, the defense will let the team down and as a result Norwich will follow Ian Holloway's men to the Championship. 

The team played that brand of football in the Championship last season, in an impressive season that saw them score more goals than anyone else in the division. After the signings made by the canaries in the summer, including attacking players Anthony Pilkington, Elliot Bennett, David Vaughan, and Steve Morison, manager Paul Lambert has made it clear that attacking football is likely to continue. 

While Norwich's defense is, like Blackpool's was last season, looking vulnerable. The defense was the worst out of the top-six sides in the Championship, and have barely strengthened in the summer, only bringing in Kyle Naughton and Richie De Laet on loan. 

So, if anyone wants to see a Blackpool No. 2, look no further than Norwich City. 

Swansea and QPR Will Both Stay Up

You may have already figured it out, but Wigan, Blackburn and Norwich's relegation will see both Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers stay in the Premier League for a second season. 

Swansea will stay up because of the exciting, Barcelona-like possession football they play. The slick passing game implemented by manager Brendan Rodgers was an important reason why they took the Championship by storm last season, and this will cause trouble for opponents in the Premier League.

Wingers Scott Sinclair and Nathan Dyer should excel again, and provide ample goalscoring opportunities for new target men Leroy Lita and Danny Graham. 

For QPR, their success last season lay with star midfielder Adel Taarabt, whose skill and goalscoring ability made him one of the most feared players in the Championship. Following the signings of DJ Campbell and Jay Bothroyd, they should have the firepower to keep them in the division.

While the Rangers defense was the strongest in the division last season, and will only require a couple of signings to be strong enough to compete in the division.  

Alan Pardew, Alex McLeish and Steve Kean Will All Be Sacked

With stakes higher than ever in the Premier League, managers are under increasing pressure to be successful, and these three in particular will be under pressure at their clubs.

Like I said earlier, Steve Kean's Blackburn will be relegated, and I find it hard to believe that the Indian owners will keep the faith that they showed in Scotsman last season for the whole of this season.

Newcastle will also struggle after the loss of Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan, and the likely departure of Joey Barton and Jose Enrique. When results don't go Newcastle's way, Pardew will be blamed and consequently sacked, although not replacing those departing players is the real issue.

Alex McLeish enters a new job at Aston Villa, and will leave it when a harsh December schedule sees them play Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, and slide down the league. The departures of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young will also contribute to McLeish's downfall.    

Another Team from Outside of the Top Six Will Win a Major Trophy

Birmingham won the Carling Cup in May. Portsmouth and Stoke City have competed in the past two FA Cup finals. This season, another team outside of the top six in the league will get to a cup final, and win it. 

In the past few years, as the bigger clubs are competing in more games in Europe, due to English progress in the Champions League, smaller clubs have taken advantage and consequently the cup competitions are now more open. 

This will mean that, while the bigger clubs competing in multiple tournaments in domestically and in Europe will often be forced to rest players, the sides in mid table will put strong sides out for the cup games, and consequently stand a great chance of progressing to the latter stages. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers Will Be 12th, Their Highest League Finish Since 1980

After surviving in the Premier League last season, by a Stephen Hunt goal in the final minutes of the season, this next season will see Wolves climb up the league to the mighty height of 12th.

Following a summer where Wolves have strengthened by buying highly-rated center back Roger Johnson from Birmingham, as well as the permanent signing of Jamie O'Hara, who was inspirational while on loan at Wolves last season, it appears that the Black Country team are ready to march up the league.

Should Kevin Doyle stay at the club, Wolves will maintain the strike partnership between Doyle and Steven Fletcher which will get them crucial wins to keep the Midlands side away from trouble in a secure mid table position

Aston Villa Will Finish in the Bottom Half of the League

The departure of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young to Liverpool and Manchester United respectively will leave Aston Villa struggling this season, while new manager Alex McLeish will be under pressure to repeat the success of Martin O'Neill despite losing the two wingers.

Although Villa certainly don't have the weakest squad in the Premier League, with the progress of Marc Albrighton and Barry Bannan as well as the signing of Charles N'Zogbia providing fans with good news, the squad has certainly weakened over the past few seasons.

This will mean that Villa certainly won't be fighting a relegation battle, especially considering that a they have a relatively easy start to their season. But a run of bad form during a difficult December when they play the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, will result in a fall down the table and the sacking of McLeish.

Liverpool's Stewart Downing Will Lead the League in Assists

Liverpool have waited a while for a decent winger, as well as someone who can help get them more goals from set-pieces. In Stewart Downing, they now have both.

With 6'3'' Andy Carroll leading the line for the Reds, and goal machine Luis Suarez also lurking in the penalty area, Liverpool fans should be exciting at the prospect of Downing's supply causing havoc for opposing defenders.

The former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough winger was 12th in the league in assists last season, but with Luis Suarez and Carroll to aim his crosses and free kicks at, don't be surprised to see Downing lead the league in assists this season.

Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres and Edin Dzeko Will All Score 20+ Goals

Three predictions in one as all of these players, each of whom are starting their first full season at their clubs having signed in January, are going to have breakout seasons and all score at least twenty goals each this season. 

Luis Suarez, perhaps the most successful of the three in terms of his performance towards the end of the season, will benefit from a partnership with Andy Carroll, in a similar partnership to the Toshack-Keegan one that brought Liverpool success in the 1970s. He will prove that, with his creativity, skill and goal scoring ability, that the £22 million spent to buy him from Ajax was a bargain.

Fernando Torres has not been so successful, but will still score 20 goals this season. With Didier Drogba looking unlikely to play a major part in Chelsea's season, Torres is likely to be heavily featuring in Andre Villas-Boas' plans, and I'm tipping him to resemble the Fernando Torres that we saw scoring goals at Liverpool, rather than the one deemed a £50 million flop last season.

Edin Dzeko, who may not get the headlines that Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli have gathered in recent months, will also have a great season. He may've only scored on six occasions since joining from Wolfsburg, but he has shown his potential during preseason, and could well feature heavily in Roberto Mancini's plans at a time where the future of some City strikers is in question.

Van Persie Will Score 15+ Goals Despite Suffering from Injuries Again

Robin van Persie excelled last season, scoring 22 goals in all competitions despite suffering from injuries that meant he only really started scoring at the beginning of the calendar year. 

The 28 year-old, who is injured right now after picking up an ankle injury against Benfica, is in the prime of his career and ready to help Arsenal in another title challenge.

Although predicting a top Premier League striker to score fifteen goals isn't too bold, it has to be taken into consideration that van Persie, knowing his track record, could well be injured for half a season.

But, he is a talented enough player to get on the score sheet consistently when he is fit, aided by the fact that he could form a strong partnership with new signing Gervinho.

Javier Hernandez Will Be the Premier League's Top Scorer

As I wrote in an article on Monday, Manchester United's Javier Hernandez will be the top scorer in the league.

Since joining from Mexican side Guadalajara, the youngster has been impressing with his pace, movement off the ball, and more importantly his goal scoring ability, which has made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe. 

He will benefit from the supply from both wings, with Nani and Ashley Young providing assists, while Wayne Rooney will also aid Hernandez in achieving this.

After such a successful season in 2010-11, he will knock Dimitar Berbatov out of the side, which will give the Mexican the opportunity to win the golden boot, which he didn't get last season having only started 15 league games.  

Arsenal Finally Win a Major Trophy and Finish in the Top Four, Partly Because...

Yes, Arsenal will finally win a major trophy this season having last done so in 2005.

Having waited for a painfully long time while watching their rivals win trophy after trophy, Arsenal will win something this year. Chances are they will win the Carling Cup, something they really should've won in February, but will go one better this season.

The youngsters got the team all the way to Wembley, but nerves and an awkward Birmingham side stopped them taking the trophy, something that won't happen with an Arsenal team one year more experienced who will make the most of this opportunity. 

In the league, they will also comfortably finish in the top four. The Manchester sides, Chelsea and Liverpool all may've improved, but Arsenal will still be strong enough to beat the league's smaller sides consistently, which will comfortably keep them in the Champions League places.  

... Jack Wilshere Will Win the PFA Young Player of the Year Award

The 19-year-old, who had an excellent season at Arsenal last season in an otherwise disappointing year for the club, will be even better this year.

With either Samir Nasri or Cesc Fabregas (or possibly both) looking likely to leave the Emirates in the summer, Wilshere will play a more important role in the Arsenal midfield, having established himself as a key player last season.

The midfielder will therefore take more responsibility, and will thrive on this. He will provide assists for new signing Gervinho and Robin Van Persie, but more importantly will push forward more and get on the scoresheet himself.

All of this will make him one of Arsenal's most important players, and at such a young age will make him a big contender for young player of the year.   

Chelsea Will Score More Goals Than Anyone Else in the League

Mainly thanks to Fernando Torres and the 20 goals that he will score this season, Chelsea will score more goals than any other team in the division. 

The list of attacking options at Andre Villas-Boas' disposal is endless, with Torres joined by Nicolas Anelka (although he may leave), Didier Drogba, Daniel Sturridge, Salomon Kalou and new signing Romelu Lukaku, goals will be no problem at Stamford Bridge.

Also look for the likes of midfielder Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda to chip in for the team that only failed to score once in the final 12 games of last season.  

There is no doubt that the goals will be flowing under Villas-Boas, whose style of exciting attacking football took Portugal by storm last season. 

Manchester City Will Have the League's Best Defense Again

After finishing as the joint best defense in the league last season, City will go one better this season and concede less goals than anyone else in the division.

Joe Hart will once again have a superb season between the sticks, after keeping the most clean sheets of anyone in the Premier League last season. 

He will be supported by a defense led by the likes of Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure at center back, while new signing Gael Clichy will most likely see playing time at left back, with Micah Richards on the right, forming an experienced back four. 

One of the advantages City have is their squad depth, which will allow any of the four regular starters to be easily replaced should they be injured or suffer a drop in performance. With the likes of Pablo Zabaleta, Joleon Lescott, Aleksander Kolarov, Stefan Savic and Dedryck Boyata to also chose from, City shouldn't suffer from lack of defensive quality, even if they suffer from injuries.

All of this will see them retaining the honour of having the best defense in the league.  

An English Club Will Win the Europa League

Europe's second cup competition, where Tottenham, Stoke City, Fulham and Championship team Birmingham City will all be competing in during the season, will be won by an English team in May. 

Birmingham won't go far in the tournament, but the other three teams stand a real chance in progressing all the way to the final in Romania in May. 

I'd say Tottenham have the best chance, but they will have a tough enough job trying to retain their place in the top five, and competing in European competition may be difficult. 

Stoke City and Fulham, the latter of whom reached the Europa League final in 2010, will also have a decent chance, especially considering that they are likely to be lingering in mid-table this season, and consequently will place more importance on European matches. 

Manchester City Will Get to Champions League Semi-Finals

Yes, City will be making waves in Europe this season.

Despite being seeded in the third of the four pots for the draw, City will comfortably qualify for the knockout phase in the same way that Tottenham did last season.

The depth in the City team will allow them to compete both in Europe and in the Premier League in the upcoming season, as the owners have shown their financial muscle to bring in many quality players, so fatigue shouldn't be too much of an issue as Mancini can easily rest tired players.

And although the team has never played in the Champions League, the team is full of the players who have Champions League experience, including the likes of Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy, who have all played in a Champions League final. 

Manchester City as a club may lack European success, but they are ready for a run towards the latter stages of the competition. 

Wayne Rooney Will Win PFA Player of the Year

The 25-year-old, who is now entering his eighth season at Old Trafford, will be given more responsibility in a United side that will be younger and less experienced than last season following the retirement of Paul Scholes and Edwin Van Der Sar, while the likes of Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand will probably play fewer games than ever.

And Rooney, despite still being relatively young, will thrive under the responsibility.

Like I said earlier, he is going to help Javier Hernandez as the Mexican will win the golden boot this season, and will also be relied upon to score those important goals in the big games.

I expect him to play just behind Hernandez, which will mean that he will be a playmaker as well as a goalscorer. This should make him a key player for United as they try to retain their Premier League title, and it will be difficult to look past him as PFA Player of the Year.   

An English Team Will Play In, and Lose, the Champions League Final Again

English teams have a great record in European competitions during the last few seasons, with six of the last seven Champions League finals having English representation. 

And with Manchester City now joining Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in flying the English flag in Europe, there is no doubt that English representation in Europe's biggest competition is stronger than ever. 

But, although I feel that the four representatives are very strong, and are four of the best teams in Europe, none of them are the best, that title belongs to Barcelona. Should Barcelona be playing in the final in Munich, then I would have to say that the Catalans side should win their third trophy in four seasons. 

The only other team that realistically could beat Barcelona is Real Madrid, and if this is the year where Jose Mourinho takes another team to the Champions League final, then don't bet against them defeating one of the English teams at the Allianz Arena. 

Manchester United Will Retain Their Title

I know, nothing exactly bold about this, but it is hard to see anyone stopping United from winning their 20^th domestic league title.

Firstly, David De Gea will meet expectations, despite his age. Although at age 20 he won’t exactly be as reliable as Edwin Van Der Sar yet, he will no doubt do a solid job in replacing United’s best goalkeeper since Peter Schmeichel.

Paul Scholes’ replacement, be it Wesley Sneijder, Samir Nasri, or simply a United player like Darren Fletcher, Anderson or even Tom Cleverly stepping up to the first team, will blend in to the team reasonably easily. Sir Alex Ferguson has probably planned for the retirement of Scholes for years, and would make sure that he could find a suitable replacement.

More of a burden will be placed on the wingers, such as Antonio Valencia, Nani, and new signing Ashley Young, as they provide Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney with the goals now that Scholes has left and Ryan Giggs will have less influence.

The signing of Phil Jones will be huge, especially considering that Vidic and Ferdinand are going to pick up the odd injury here and there, so a Jones-Smalling partnership will be important, especially towards the end of the season and in the Champions League.

They will be challenged by Chelsea and Manchester City, who will finish second and third respectively, but United will come out on top once again.